Read the Gospels in 40 Days
The Mission of the Seventy-Two
10 After this[a] the Lord appointed seventy-two[b] others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town[c] and place where he himself was about to go. 2 He[d] said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest[e] to send out[f] workers into his harvest. 3 Go! I[g] am sending you out like lambs[h] surrounded by wolves.[i] 4 Do not carry[j] a money bag,[k] a traveler’s bag,[l] or sandals, and greet no one on the road.[m] 5 Whenever[n] you enter a house,[o] first say, ‘May peace[p] be on this house!’ 6 And if a peace-loving person[q] is there, your peace will remain on him, but if not, it will return to you.[r] 7 Stay[s] in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you,[t] for the worker deserves his pay.[u] Do not move around from house to house. 8 Whenever[v] you enter a town[w] and the people[x] welcome you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal[y] the sick in that town[z] and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God[aa] has come upon[ab] you!’ 10 But whenever[ac] you enter a town[ad] and the people[ae] do not welcome[af] you, go into its streets[ag] and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town[ah] that clings to our feet we wipe off[ai] against you.[aj] Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come.’[ak] 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom[al] than for that town![am]
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin![an] Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if[ao] the miracles[ap] done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,[aq] they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.[ar] 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon[as] in the judgment than for you! 15 And you, Capernaum,[at] will you be exalted to heaven?[au] No, you will be thrown down to Hades![av]
16 “The one who listens[aw] to you listens to me,[ax] and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects[ay] the one who sent me.”[az]
17 Then[ba] the seventy-two[bb] returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to[bc] us in your name!”[bd] 18 So[be] he said to them, “I saw[bf] Satan fall[bg] like lightning[bh] from heaven. 19 Look, I have given you authority to tread[bi] on snakes and scorpions[bj] and on the full force of the enemy,[bk] and nothing will[bl] hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that[bm] the spirits submit to you, but rejoice[bn] that your names stand written[bo] in heaven.”
21 On that same occasion[bp] Jesus[bq] rejoiced[br] in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise[bs] you, Father, Lord[bt] of heaven and earth, because[bu] you have hidden these things from the wise[bv] and intelligent, and revealed them to little children.[bw] Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.[bx] 22 All things have been given to me by my Father.[by] No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides[bz] to reveal him.”
23 Then[ca] Jesus[cb] turned[cc] to his[cd] disciples and said privately, “Blessed[ce] are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see[cf] what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 Now[cg] an expert in religious law[ch] stood up to test Jesus,[ci] saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”[cj] 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?”[ck] 27 The expert[cl] answered, “Love[cm] the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,[cn] and love your neighbor as yourself.”[co] 28 Jesus[cp] said to him, “You have answered correctly;[cq] do this, and you will live.”
29 But the expert,[cr] wanting to justify[cs] himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied,[ct] “A man was going down[cu] from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat[cv] him up, and went off, leaving him half dead.[cw] 31 Now by chance[cx] a priest was going down that road, but[cy] when he saw the injured man[cz] he passed by[da] on the other side.[db] 32 So too a Levite, when he came up to[dc] the place and saw him,[dd] passed by on the other side. 33 But[de] a Samaritan[df] who was traveling[dg] came to where the injured man[dh] was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him.[di] 34 He[dj] went up to him[dk] and bandaged his wounds, pouring olive oil[dl] and wine on them. Then[dm] he put him on[dn] his own animal,[do] brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The[dp] next day he took out two silver coins[dq] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.’[dr] 36 Which of these three do you think became a neighbor[ds] to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 The expert in religious law[dt] said, “The one who showed mercy[du] to him.” So[dv] Jesus said to him, “Go and do[dw] the same.”
Jesus and Martha
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus[dx] entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest.[dy] 39 She[dz] had a sister named Mary, who sat[ea] at the Lord’s feet[eb] and listened to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted[ec] with all the preparations she had to make,[ed] so[ee] she came up to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care[ef] that my sister has left me to do all the work[eg] alone? Tell[eh] her to help me.” 41 But the Lord[ei] answered her,[ej] “Martha, Martha,[ek] you are worried and troubled[el] about many things, 42 but one thing[em] is needed. Mary has chosen the best[en] part; it will not be taken away from her.”
Instructions on Prayer
11 Now[eo] Jesus[ep] was praying in a certain place. When[eq] he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John[er] taught[es] his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray,[et] say:
Father,[eu] may your name be honored;[ev]
may your kingdom come.[ew]
3 Give us each day our daily bread,[ex]
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins[ey] against us.
And do not lead us into temptation.”[ez]
5 Then[fa] he said to them, “Suppose one of you[fb] has a friend, and you go to him[fc] at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,[fd] 6 because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey,[fe] and I have nothing to set before[ff] him.’ 7 Then[fg] he will reply[fh] from inside, ‘Do not bother me. The door is already shut, and my children and I are in bed.[fi] I cannot get up and give you anything.’[fj] 8 I tell you, even though the man inside[fk] will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’s[fl] sheer persistence[fm] he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
9 “So[fn] I tell you: Ask,[fo] and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door[fp] will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks[fq] receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door[fr] will be opened. 11 What father among you, if your[fs] son asks for[ft] a fish, will give him a snake[fu] instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?[fv] 13 If you then, although you are[fw] evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit[fx] to those who ask him!”
Jesus and Beelzebul
14 Now[fy] he was casting out a demon that was mute.[fz] When[ga] the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute began to speak,[gb] and the crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “By the power of Beelzebul,[gc] the ruler[gd] of demons, he casts out demons!” 16 Others, to test[ge] him,[gf] began asking for[gg] a sign[gh] from heaven. 17 But Jesus,[gi] realizing their thoughts, said to them,[gj] “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed,[gk] and a divided household falls.[gl] 18 So[gm] if[gn] Satan too is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? I ask you this because[go] you claim that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons[gp] cast them[gq] out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if I cast out demons by the finger[gr] of God, then the kingdom of God[gs] has already overtaken[gt] you. 21 When a strong man,[gu] fully armed, guards his own palace,[gv] his possessions are safe.[gw] 22 But[gx] when a stronger man[gy] attacks[gz] and conquers him, he takes away the first man’s[ha] armor on which the man relied[hb] and divides up[hc] his plunder.[hd] 23 Whoever is not with me is against me,[he] and whoever does not gather with me scatters.[hf]
Response to Jesus’ Work
24 “When an unclean spirit[hg] goes out of a person,[hh] it passes through waterless places[hi] looking for rest but[hj] not finding any. Then[hk] it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’[hl] 25 When it returns,[hm] it finds the house[hn] swept clean and put in order.[ho] 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so[hp] the last state of that person[hq] is worse than the first.”[hr]
27 As[hs] he said these things, a woman in the crowd spoke out[ht] to him, “Blessed is the womb[hu] that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!”[hv] 28 But he replied,[hw] “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey[hx] it!”
The Sign of Jonah
29 As[hy] the crowds were increasing, Jesus[hz] began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign,[ia] but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.[ib] 30 For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh,[ic] so the Son of Man will be a sign[id] to this generation.[ie] 31 The queen of the South[if] will rise up at the judgment[ig] with the people[ih] of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon—and now,[ii] something greater[ij] than Solomon is here! 32 The people[ik] of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them[il]—and now,[im] something greater than Jonah is here!
Internal Light
33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place[in] or under a basket,[io] but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy,[ip] your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased,[iq] your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore see to it[ir] that the light in you[is] is not darkness. 36 If[it] then[iu] your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark,[iv] it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”[iw]
Rebuking the Pharisees and Experts in the Law
37 As he spoke,[ix] a Pharisee[iy] invited Jesus[iz] to have a meal with him, so he went in and took his place at the table.[ja] 38 The[jb] Pharisee was astonished when he saw that Jesus[jc] did not first wash his hands[jd] before the meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean[je] the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.[jf] 40 You fools![jg] Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside as well?[jh] 41 But give from your heart to those in need,[ji] and[jj] then everything will be clean for you.[jk]
42 “But woe to you Pharisees![jl] You give a tenth[jm] of your mint,[jn] rue,[jo] and every herb, yet you neglect justice[jp] and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others.[jq] 43 Woe to you Pharisees! You love the best seats[jr] in the synagogues[js] and elaborate greetings[jt] in the marketplaces![ju] 44 Woe to you![jv] You are like unmarked graves, and people[jw] walk over them without realizing it!”[jx]
45 One of the experts in religious law[jy] answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult[jz] us too.” 46 But Jesus[ka] replied,[kb] “Woe to you experts in religious law as well![kc] You load people[kd] down with burdens difficult to bear, yet you yourselves refuse to touch[ke] the burdens with even one of your fingers! 47 Woe to you! You build[kf] the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors[kg] killed. 48 So you testify that you approve of[kh] the deeds of your ancestors,[ki] because they killed the prophets[kj] and you build their[kk] tombs![kl] 49 For this reason also the wisdom[km] of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that this generation may be held accountable[kn] for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning[ko] of the world,[kp] 51 from the blood of Abel[kq] to the blood of Zechariah,[kr] who was killed[ks] between the altar and the sanctuary.[kt] Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against[ku] this generation. 52 Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken away[kv] the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hindered[kw] those who were going in.”
53 When he went out from there, the experts in the law[kx] and the Pharisees began to oppose him bitterly,[ky] and to ask him hostile questions[kz] about many things, 54 plotting against[la] him, to catch[lb] him in something he might say.
Fear God, Not People
12 Meanwhile,[lc] when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus[ld] began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against[le] the yeast of the Pharisees,[lf] which is hypocrisy.[lg] 2 Nothing is hidden[lh] that will not be revealed,[li] and nothing is secret that will not be made known. 3 So then[lj] whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered[lk] in private rooms[ll] will be proclaimed from the housetops.[lm]
4 “I[ln] tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body,[lo] and after that have nothing more they can do. 5 But I will warn[lp] you whom you should fear: Fear the one who, after the killing,[lq] has authority to throw you[lr] into hell.[ls] Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies?[lt] Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.[lu] 7 In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid;[lv] you are more valuable than many sparrows.
8 “I[lw] tell you, whoever acknowledges[lx] me before men,[ly] the Son of Man will also acknowledge[lz] before God’s angels. 9 But the one who denies me before men will be denied before God’s angels. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit[ma] will not be forgiven.[mb] 11 But when they bring you before the synagogues,[mc] the[md] rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you should make your defense[me] or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment[mf] what you must say.”[mg]
The Parable of the Rich Landowner
13 Then[mh] someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell[mi] my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But Jesus[mj] said to him, “Man,[mk] who made me a judge or arbitrator between you two?”[ml] 15 Then[mm] he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from[mn] all types of greed,[mo] because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 He then[mp] told them a parable:[mq] “The land of a certain rich man produced[mr] an abundant crop, 17 so[ms] he thought to himself,[mt] ‘What should I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’[mu] 18 Then[mv] he said, ‘I[mw] will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to myself,[mx] “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life[my] will be demanded back from[mz] you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’[na] 21 So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself,[nb] but is not rich toward God.”
Exhortation Not to Worry
22 Then[nc] Jesus[nd] said to his[ne] disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry[nf] about your[ng] life, what you will eat, or about your[nh] body, what you will wear. 23 For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens:[ni] They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds[nj] them. How much more valuable are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying[nk] can add an hour to his life?[nl] 26 So if[nm] you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about[nn] the rest? 27 Consider how the flowers[no] grow; they do not work[np] or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 28 And if[nq] this is how God clothes the wild grass,[nr] which is here[ns] today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven,[nt] how much more[nu] will he clothe you, you people of little faith! 29 So[nv] do not be overly concerned about[nw] what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things.[nx] 30 For all the nations of the world pursue[ny] these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, pursue[nz] his[oa] kingdom,[ob] and these things will be given to you as well.
32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased[oc] to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions[od] and give to the poor.[oe] Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out—a treasure in heaven[of] that never decreases,[og] where no thief approaches and no moth[oh] destroys. 34 For where your treasure[oi] is, there your heart will be also.
Call to Faithful Stewardship
35 “Get dressed for service[oj] and keep your lamps burning;[ok] 36 be like people[ol] waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration,[om] so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 Blessed are those slaves[on] whom their master finds alert[oo] when he returns! I tell you the truth,[op] he will dress himself to serve,[oq] have them take their place at the table,[or] and will come[os] and wait on them![ot] 38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night[ou] and finds them alert,[ov] blessed are those slaves![ow] 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief[ox] was coming, he would not have let[oy] his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”[oz]
41 Then[pa] Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?”[pb] 42 The Lord replied,[pc] “Who then is the faithful and wise manager,[pd] whom the master puts in charge of his household servants,[pe] to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that slave[pf] whom his master finds at work[pg] when he returns. 44 I tell you the truth,[ph] the master[pi] will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if[pj] that[pk] slave should say to himself,[pl] ‘My master is delayed[pm] in returning,’ and he begins to beat[pn] the other[po] slaves, both men and women,[pp] and to eat, drink, and get drunk, 46 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two,[pq] and assign him a place with the unfaithful.[pr] 47 That[ps] servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked[pt] will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know his master’s will[pu] and did things worthy of punishment[pv] will receive a light beating.[pw] From everyone who has been given much, much will be required,[px] and from the one who has been entrusted with much,[py] even more will be asked.[pz]
Not Peace, but Division
49 “I have come[qa] to bring[qb] fire on the earth—and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism[qc] to undergo,[qd] and how distressed I am until it is finished! 51 Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division![qe] 52 For from now on[qf] there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided,[qg] father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Reading the Signs
54 Jesus[qh] also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west,[qi] you say at once, ‘A rainstorm[qj] is coming,’ and it does. 55 And when you see the south wind[qk] blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and there is. 56 You hypocrites![ql] You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how can you not know how[qm] to interpret the present time?
Clear the Debts
57 “And[qn] why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate,[qo] make an effort to settle with him on the way, so that he will not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer,[qp] and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out of there until you have paid the very last cent!”[qq]
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